In compiling my favorite albums this year, I tried to think back and include records that deserved to be heard in their entirety. It's been interesting to observe how the music business has slowly slipped back towards a single-driven mentality, precipitated by on-demand listening and fragmented purchasing options. Increasingly, there aren't a whole lot of reasons to put much thought into crafting a cohesive, long-playing listening experience. Which is why it's all the more impressive when a group is able to make their entire record mesh in the kind of way that almost forces you to take it all in at once. Assembled here are the albums of 2011 that pulled me in and didn't relinquish my attention until the conclusion of their running time.
